It is well known that color photographic light-sensitive materials using the subtractive process for color reproduction comprise silver halide emulsion layers selectively sensitive to blue, green and red light and associated with yellow, magenta and cyan dye forming couplers which form (upon reaction with an oxidized primary amine type color developing agent) the complementary color thereof. For example, an acylacetanilide or a pivaloylacetanilide type coupler is used to form a yellow color image; a pyrazolone, pyrazolotriazole, cyanacetophenone or indazolone type coupler is used to form a magenta color image; and a phenol type coupler, such as a phenol or naphthol coupler, is used to form a cyan color image.
In general, yellow color forming couplers have chemical structures in which one of the hydrogen atom of the active methylene group is substituted with a releasable atom or group. Examples of such releasable atoms or groups are a fluorine atom as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,277,155, a phenoxy group as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,408,194, an acyloxy group as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,447,928, a sulfoxy group as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,415,652, a group having a saccharin structure as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,730,722 and a hydantoinyl group as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,973,968; 4,022,620; 4,404,274; 4,777,123.
It is also known to incorporate into a lightsensitive color photographic material a compound capable of releasing a development inhibitor during development upon reaction with the oxidation product of a color developing agent. Typical examples of said compounds are the DIR (Development Inhibitor Releasing) couplers having a group having a development inhibiting property when released from the coupler introduced at the coupling position of the coupler. Examples of DIR couplers are described by C. R. Barr, J. R. Thirtle and P. W. Witturn, Photographic Science and Eng., vol. 13. pp 74-80 (1969) and ibid. pp 214-217 (1969) or in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,227,554, 3,615,506, 3,617,291, 3,701,783, 3,933,500, and 4,149,886.
The purpose of DIR couplers is to reduce grainines and improve sharpness of the image due to intralayer or intraimage effects (that is in the same layers or the same dye image) and improve color reproduction due to interlayer or interimage effects (that is in different layers or different dye images).
Among the DIR couplers, those having a benzotriazolyl development inhibitor releasing group are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,617,291, 4,145,219 and 4,477,563, in GB Pat. Appln. 2,010,818, and in EP Pat. Appln. Nos. 115,302, 101,621 and 320,691.
EP Patent Application No. 356,925 describes a combination of a particular DIR coupler that enables release of the developed inhibitor moiety by means of a timing anchimeric release mechanism (DIAR coupler) with a particular alkoxybenzoyl acetanilide yellow dye-forming coupler comprising a phenoxy group or a heterocyclic ring as coupling off group. This combination is described as useful for improving both desired interimage effect and desired matching of reactivity.
Japanese patent Application No. 02-250,053 describes the combination of a malonodianilide DIR or DIAR coupler and a benzoyl acetanilide yellow coupler. The DIR couplers therein described comprise those having a benzotriazolyl group bonded to the coupling active position through the 1-nitrogen atom or through the 2-nitrogen atom of the benzotriazole group. This benzotriazole group does not possess any substituents at positions 4 and 7. The combination is described in this Patent Application as giving improved interimage effects.
Combinations of DIR couplers and yellow dye forming couplers have been described in GB Pat. Appln. 2,099,167 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 4,022,620. Such combinations of yellow dye forming couplers and DIR couplers, however, have not been found to provide the desired match in reactivity and the desired interimage effect.
Accordingly, there is a continuing need to provide combinations of DIR couplers and yellow dye forming couplers which enable improved interimage effects.